Skate



(No Model.)

W. S. HALE.

.SKATE.

No. 583,684. Patented Ju ne 1, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT nron.

WILLIAM S. HALE, OF KEENE, NEYV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIONHARDWVARE COMPANY, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,684, dated June 1,1897.

Application filed August 27, 1896. Serial'No. 604,089. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM S. HALE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Keene, in the county of Cheshire and State of NewHampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skates,of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in skates that are secured to theboot or shoe by clamps; and the invention consists in certain details ofconstruction, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a skate embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a'plan or top view of same. Fig. 3 is a view looking from theunder side with the clamps and actuating-lever in the open position.Fig. 4 is a View of the front heel-clamp, and Fig. 5 is a verticalsection taken on line at a: of Fig. 1.

A represents the runner, B the sole-plate, and C the heel-plate,which isformed with two upturned portions 0 c, forming clamps to hold the rearof the heel. The front portion of the heel-plate o is formed with a slot0, in which the front heel-clamp D is free to slide. This clamp is ofthe form shown in Fig. 4 and has a recess cl on each side, into whichthe 0 heel-plate is fitted, and the lower end of said clamp is formedwith a boss at, that is screwthreaded to receive the screw-threaded endof the regulating-bar E, the forward end of which is journaled and freeto rotate in a stud 5 F, that is fulcrumed to the actuating-lever Gbelow the sole-plate. The front end g of the lever G extends a shortdistance beyond the stud F, and to its extreme end the toe-clamp platesH H are connected by a pivot I, that also passes up through a slot b,formed in the rear end of the sole-plate B.

The-toe clamps and plates H are each made out of a single piece of metaland of the form shown, (see Fig. 3,) the inner ends of which arefulcrumed to the actuating-lever G, as described, one above and onebelow same, as shown, and their outer ends are turned up to form thetoe-clamps it. Each of these plates is formed with a curved slot h andis held up to the under side of the sole-plate by a rivet J.

The actuating-lever G is at its outerend bent down, as at G, to form athumb-piece for operating said lever, and it is also formed with astraight projecting piece g, that passes over the top of theregulating-bar E and serves to hold the lever in place when the skate isclamped onto the boot or shoe. It is also formed with a small projectingpiece onitsinnerside,which is bent down, as shown, and forms a stop thatcomes into contact with the regulating-bar E to prevent the lever beingpushed too far in.

Inapplying the skate to a boot or shoe the actuating-lever G is openedout, as shown in Fig. 3. All the operating parts are then loose. Theheel of the boot is then placed on the heel-plate C. The actuating-leveris then drawn inward, it turning on the fulcrum I, and causes theheel-clamp D to come into contact with the inner portion of the heelthat forms a resistance. Then as said lever is pressed in it turns uponthe fulcrum F. Thus the fulcrum Iis forced forward and with it thetoe-clamp plates I-I, said fulcrum traveling in the slot 6 of thesole-plate B, and at the same time the outer ends of said plates H areforced inward by means of the slots 71/ and rivets I, so that thetoe-clamps 7r will firmly clasp the sole of the boot.

The skate can be readily adjusted to fit the boot, according to the sizeof heel and width of sole, by means of the adjusting-rod E, which ismilled, as shown, so as to be easily turned by the thumb and finger.

As shown in the drawings, all of the operating and moving parts of theclamping mechanism, with the exception of the small upper end of thepivot-stud I and the clamps D and h h, are located below the plane ofthe sole and heel plates. Therefore there is no obj ec- 9c tionablefriction between moving parts and the sole or heel of the users shoe, nomatter what the size or shape of the latter may be. This freedom ofmovementof the parts, coupledwith the fact that as the heel-clamp D isforced rearward the sole-clamps h it move forward while approaching eachother, the

pressure of the clamps thus opposing each other, results in theadvantage that the skate can be quickly and easily applied with little10o effort and removed without binding or hanging on the shoe. Theabove-mentioned forward movement of the clamps 7i 7L when approachingeach other is due to the fact that the slots h are curved outward andrearward.

I claim- 1. In a skate two toe-clamp plates having curved slotsextending outward and rearward and arranged under the sole-plate, rivetsse cured to the sole-plates and passing through said slots to supportthe toe-clamp plates, the rear end of said plates being fulcrumed upon apivot that passes through a longitudinal slotin the rear of thesoleplate, an actuatinglever also fulerumed to said pivot in combinationwith a movable heel-clamp having a boss below the heel-plate and aregulatingrod between said heel-clamp and the actuating-lever the saidlever and rod being below the plane of the sole and heel platessubstantially as set forth.

2. In a skate the combination of the following elements: a runner, asole-plate having a longitudinal slot at its rear end, a pivot passingthrough said slot,two toe-clamp plates and an actuating-lever fulcruinedon said pivot, said toe-clamp plates having curved slots extendingoutward and rearward rivets secured to the sole-plate and passing downthrough said curved slots, a stud mounted in the actuating-lever, ascrew-threaded rod journaled in said stud, a heel-plate having alongitudinal slot and a heel-clamp working in said slot and having ascrew-threaded boss through which the end of the regulating-rod passessubstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 16th day of June, A. D.1896.

XVILLIAM S. HALE.

iVitnesses:

WM. P. CI-IEEVER RICE, JOHN T. ABBOTT.

